<LI> Meteors again - 12/13 Tried out lunar imaging
set-up- decided on C8 instead of the C5. ( better light gathering power)
<LI> 12/14 12/15 Attempted C8 dark-side lunar video recording for
possible Geminids (none seen due to clouds?). Went out after 11pm and observed
7 fairly bright Geminids in two hours LM 3.0 plus sky. High-lite of the
bunch is a unusual bright and slow blue 'point' Geminid! Will try again
tonite..
<LI> 12/15-12/16 Despite better than last nite LM, not even one
meteor was seen. ( May be I blinked on the wrong time or what?). Sky is
unusually clear with LM5.0+. Did a little dark side moon video recording.
- No bright 'flare' seen.
<LI> 12/16 - Did not observe. My old neighbour drop in and according
to her, the family have a good view of 'many many' meteors early AM on
12/15 while waiting to see the sun-rise. she did not realise it was Geminids
and thought it is usual to see that many meteors. Damned! I stop
observing 1:00am this same night. Sound like a rate of 10 per hour! - What
a luck!
<LI)12/22 - Poor weather wreak my plan for a record of the full
lunar disk.
<LI> 12/24 Xmas Eve. Cloudy sky for a few straight days/night. Even
the sun is playing 'peep-ka-boo' with me. If you happen to look at the
sun(through Solar Filter!) you will find a interesting linear string of
five sunspots consistings. A bad case of 'mumps' keep me 'in bed' for a
solid week.
<LI> 12/25 - Iridiums pair predicted in early AM. Will the weather
hold? As it turned out (as expected) clouded over.
<LI> 12/26/99 - A southbound bright yellowish-green fireball (outshined
Canopus nearby ) was sighted around 11:03pm. Elevations is ~ 25 degree,
bearing S, travelled ~15 degree (4 o'clock position) Some yellowish-sparks
were seen at terminal burst. Sky hazy with LM 2.0+ ( seems to originate
from Pup)
<LI> 12/28-29 Return of clear sky after midnite. Old friends early
AM - Southern Cross and the pointer. Good sweeping with a pair of 10x50s
or 7x50s binocular. Moon in zenith 6:30AM.
<LI> 12/30 Early AM - clear in the South/East. Ursa Major with tail
at 3 O'clock direction. If follow the curve of the 'tail' U can find orange-yellow
Arcturus - Bootes main star. On coming Jan 4 early morning Quadrantids
peak.